
Wool Khadi
21 December 2019Khadi is hand made cloth from India and Bangladesh. It is most commonly woven from cotton, but can also be made from silk and wool. In the 1920’s, Mahatma Gandhi promoted khadi cloth to help boost the Indian economy by reducing foreign imports. The idea was to promote production in rural areas in order to redistribute wealth outside of the main cities and to improve people’s self-sufficiency.
Our wool khadi is made from pure sheep’s wool. The wool is spun into yarn on a hand-cranked spinning wheel called a ‘Charkha’ before being woven on a handloom. These are narrow fabrics because they can only be woven as wide as an arm span.
The organic nature of the handmade wool inspires a sense of going back to basics, and any slubs, flecks and small knots in the weave add to the charm of the fabric.
Because khadi is made by hand, the production does not require any fuel and produces little water waste, making khadi one of the most sustainable and eco-friendly fabrics available. By buying khadi we support local artisans and help maintain traditional production methods
As well as a beautiful fabric for coats, khadi wools are popular for scarves and blankets.
Our latest article for Selvedge magazine explains the philosophy behind the khadi movement and features our pure wool khadi.